As his condition improves, community rallies in prayer for injured police officer

Community members gathered at St. John Catholic Church in Union Hill yesterday afternoon, Wednesday, March 15, to offer their support and prayers for a young police officer from New Prague injured in the line of duty early Tuesday morning.

Several dozen people attended a Mass in which the Rev. Eugene Theisen asked people to boldly pray for a complete recovery for Eagan patrol officer Kade Eggum. A 22-year-old graduate of New Prague High School, Eggum was injured in a crash on Interstate 35-E Tuesday, March 14, just after 5 a.m. when he and a truck crashed while Eggum was responding to an emergency call for service. The emergency lights on Eggum’s patrol car were activated at the time of the crash, according to the state patrol crash report. Eggum was initially in critical but stable condition after the crash. Thursday, his condition was upgraded (improved) to serious condition.

Several of the participants in the Mass Wednesday said they attended to offer prayer and support for Eggum.

“Prayer does wonders,” said Ted Nytes, a resident of Union Hill. “The more people praying and the bolder you are in asking, the better it will be for Kade.”

Brandi Weckman of New Prague wasn’t surprised members of the community rallied to offer prayers for the young man’s recovery.

“The power of prayer is important,” she said. “We wanted to show our support. That’s what we do.”

During the Mass Wednesday, Theisen asked people to take a prayer card to St. Michael, the patron saint of police and frontline responders. The priest ordered the cards. The cards arrived this past week, an act he said was providence, not coincidence.